November is Christmas – By Patrick Deary

With Halloween just ending, it is now time to put up your turkeys and celebrate thanksgiving. Wait— why is there Christmas music playing in the mall? Why are there Christmas lights out already? Thanksgiving hasn’t even come yet! This is what it is like on November 1st. The moment the clock strikes midnight on Halloween night, people began to prepare for Christmas. Sometimes Christmas decorations go up even before Halloween in some stores. Even Black Friday sales began before Friday!

The beloved holiday known as Christmas happens to be the most celebrated holiday in the United States, which is probably the reason why its season lasts the longest. It is also the most profitable holiday, which is why so many stores decorate for it before Thanksgiving. If you go by the numbers, the average amount of money an American spends on Christmas each year is $700. That means that the American people collectively spend over $465 billion dollars a year on Christmas. It is no wonder why stores set up Christmas decorations so early. They figure the longer they are up, the more of a chance people will buy more products.

This brings us to probably the most washed over holiday of them all, Thanksgiving. Being the celebration between the most celebrated and profitable holidays, it is essentially the “middle child” of holidays. Even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has a Christmas theme to it. Some of this is also do to the fact that most Black Friday sales start on Thanksgiving, so instead of sitting down and having a meal with their family and friends, people go out and shop for Christmas. Even when you go to pick up your turkey for the Thanksgiving dinner, you are bound to hear Christmas music playing.

Part of the reason why I think Christmas comes so formidably in such a short amount of time is that people go from a holiday that, although it is a mostly happy holiday, Halloween does have a dark and scary elements. So after a month of spooky ghosts and horror movies, most people want to celebrate being happy and joyful. This is where Christmas comes in— a holiday based on giving and singing Christmas carols with friends and family. Not to mention the mascot is a jolly old man who is always smiling. Christmas is an amazing holiday but it always comes too soon, at least for those who enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Over the years it seems like the Christmas season has started earlier each year. Time and time again, Thanksgiving is glazed over with Christmas themed parades and by Black Friday shopping. The moment Halloween ends, you’re guaranteed to hear Christmas music in the mall. Just as soon as you take your festive costume off, there is a mall Santa putting on his red costume to begin the Christmas season. Christmas comes and goes much too soon every year. Let’s all just enjoy each holiday when it comes and make December the month of Christmas—not the months before it.